OMG JOEY GALLO JOEY GALLO JOEY FREAKING GALLO!!!
We are not recommending Gallo here, mainly because he's already owned in too many FOXSports.com leagues (58.7 percent). And because he'll strike out about twice per game. Bright future, not so sure about the present.
With that out of the way ... here's this season's eighth edition of Free Agent Frenzy. Please note that, as in past seasons, no player will be mentioned in this space more than once in a four-week span, because we don't want to beat you over the head all year long about the same players. Also, we'll limit our discussions to players owned in fewer than 50 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Let's get going!
Catcher: Nick Hundley, Rockies (owned in 41.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
In Coors We Trust. Hundley has been a pretty bad hitter for his entire career, but he's batting .299 with five home runs and an .806 OPS in 40 games this season.
Digging deeper: Welington Castillo (0.6 percent owned) is now the righthanded platoon catcher for the Diamondbacks, and could become more than that when the D-backs realize how terrible Jarrod Saltalamacchia is. Castillo is better than the average second catcher in your NL-only league.
First base: Yonder Alonso, Padres (owned in 3.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
Alonso doesn't have typical first-base power, but he carries a .276 career BA, came off the DL earlier this week and bats fifth in the Padres' solid lineup. Not a bad option if you've had trouble replacing Justin Morneau or Matt Adams.
Digging deeper: Garrett Jones (0.4 percent owned) might still be available in your AL-only league, as he didn't do anything worth keeping in April or May. However, he hit home runs on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Yankees. And should get playing time as the old guys on the roster succumb to various injuries. In Yankee Stadium, Jones only needs a part-time role to hit more homers.
Second base: Logan Forsythe, Rays (owned in 31.7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
Whatever has gotten into Forsythe looks legit. He's batting ..286 with six home runs, 24 RBI, 24 runs and four stolen bases. In daily leagues, his dual 1B/2B eligibility will help. Whether this is sustainable or a streak, it's time to jump on board.
Digging deeper: Eddie Rosario (0.4 percent owned) has some pop, decent speed and is playing just about every day in the Twins' outfield. Sure, they should be letting Oswaldo Arcia play, but until that happens, Rosario might help your AL-only squad a bit thanks to his 2B eligibility.
Third base: Trevor Plouffe, Twins (owned in 30.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
Speaking of Twins, Plouffe ranks seventh among third basemen in RBI (30), T-10 in home runs (eight), 14th in BA (.261) and T-19 in runs (23). That's good enough to fill your open spot â and Adrian Beltre's â in any format.
Digging deeper: The Phillies have made Cody Asche (0.8 percent owned) their everyday left fielder, but he's still 3B-eligible, and bats sixth in the lineup. Asche will turn 25 later this month, and while he hasn't been a particularly good big-league hitter to this point, his minor-league track record suggests decent power.
Shortstop: Wilmer Flores, Mets (owned in 11.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
Flores might be a butcher in the field, but he ranks among the top 10 at his position in home runs (eight), RBI (24) and runs (24). Why aren't you people rostering him?
Digging deeper: Flores' teammate, Ruben Tejada (0.7 percent owned), was moved to second base on Thursday night, but quickly shifted back to third base when Daniel Murphy (quad, prognosis TBD) got hurt. Tejada doesn't have much power or speed, but he's batting .311 with plenty of line drives this season, and has been batting second in the Mets' order. Your NL-only window might be closes, but Tejada can be a decent, low-upside fit in some deeper mixed leagues. Owners of guys like Danny Santana or Asdrubal Cabrera can consider a switch, as Tejada might score some runs.
Outfield: Steven Souza, Rays (owned in 21.7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
This isn't a "look at this underrated guy nobody has been thinking about" recommendation. It's more of a "HEY, EVERYONE! ARE YOU REALLY NOT PICKING HIM UP?" notificiation. Souza has 11 home runs with seven stolen bases, for crying out loud. I know FOXSports.com leagues are shallow, with three outfielders as the standard roster setting, but this is still ridiculous. Who cares if Souza is hitting .230?
Digging deeper: Junior Lake (0.4 percent owned) has a nice little power-speed skillset, and has batted cleanup for the Cubs in the three games since Jorge Soler got hurt. Lake played so little before this week that he might be available in your NL-only league.
Starting pitcher: Lance McCullers, Astros (owned in 20 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
We usually don't get irrationally exuberant about rookie starters around here, but after seeing McCullers mow batters down over his first four starts, it's time to get on the bandwagon to see where it goes. McCullers' Double-A performance earlier this season suggested some improvements, and they've carried over to the majors.
(Warning: Don't get TOO attached to McCullers, as an innings limit of 140-150 seems likely.)
Digging deeper: You might want to check if Trevor May (1.3 percent owned) and his 4.45 ERA are still available in your AL-only league. May's FIP is a very good 2.80, and he has 50 whiffs against nine walks in 56 2/3 innings. The ERA is going to drop soon.
Relief pitcher: Brad Ziegler, Diamondbacks (owned in 4.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues)
You want to get a closer who has 14 strikeouts in 25 innings? Yes, if he has five saves over the last two weeks.
Digging deeper: Looking for a non-closing K specialist in your âonly league? NL owners can check out St. Louis' Kevin Siegrist (1.4 percent owned), or maybe Dodger Juan Nicasio (0.8 percent owned). AL teams can use Baltimore's Brad Brach (0.2 percent owned) or failed Indians' starter Zach McAllister (0.8 percent owned).
